New Zealand tennis player Alistair Hunt will need to reproduce his top form against Uzbekistan in the Asia-Oceania group Davis Cup tie starting tonight in Tashkent.
Hunt was yesterday predictably confirmed as New Zealand's No 2 singles player behind Mark Nielsen.
Much will again depend on the big-serving Hunt, who was in
sensational form in New Zealand's 4-1 first-round win over Thailand in Timaru in February.
New Zealand's non-playing captain, Glenn Wilson, knows that if Hunt could reproduce his Timaru form then another upset win is possible.
The winners of the tie will play off for a position in the 16-strong world group, in which New Zealand last played in 1991.
"He's hitting the ball as well as he was in Timaru, if not better, because indoor courts are better for his game," Wilson said from Tashkent yesterday.
"There's no wind to worry about so he can hit clean without worrying about what is going to happen around him."
Wilson said Hunt looked fitter than he did in Timaru, having lost weight while playing in the United States and Europe in the past six weeks.
"Being in their home environment is comfortable for [Uzbekistan] and a little bit harder for us, but Alistair will go out there and give it everything he has got," Wilson said.
In the opening singles, Nielsen will play No 2 Vadim Kutsenko while Hunt will face No 1 Oleg Ogorodov.
Hunt will also play in the doubles with James Greenhalgh, but Wilson said tonight's performance was the key to New Zealand's hopes.
"If we can be at least one-all after day one then we can win," Wilson said.
- NZPA
